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Your Library offers several special interest collections around the region.
The Adult Literacy Collection is housed at Boronia and Realm Libraries. It includes books on grammar, spelling, and arithmetic, as well as novels for those learning to read.
Browse the collection here.
Board games are available for loan from the following branches: Belgrave, Boronia, Croydon and Realm.
Members may borrow up to 2 board games at a time. The collection is searchable via the catalogue and items may be reserved by members at no charge.
Most library branches carry Choice Magazine, including back issues lasting up to 2 years. View the collection, and place reservations, here.
Or, access Choice online using a Library PC. Enjoy full, 100% free access to every Choice review and product comparison. Please ask library staff for login information. Book a Library PC here.
The Dementia Care Collection is designed for people living with dementia and their carers.
The collection features a range of materials like photobooks, puzzles, tools, and other objects designed to provide stimulation and keep the mind active. These materials help people living with dementia find pleasure and relaxation by offering valuable and varied mental stimulus.
Items may be borrowed like any other library item (3-week loan period, with two renewals). However, items must be reserved; library members can browse the collection here.
For more information, please contact Realm Library, or visit this page.
Children receive messages about gender everyday through behaviours, images, written and spoken words at home, at school and in other settings. Beyond Sparkles and Superheroes is a special book list that features children’s picture books themed on gender equality and equity. These picture books present child characters in a way that challenges gender stereotypes.
These are just a sample of books available on the theme of gender equality or gender equity. They have been chosen because they are both enjoyable stories to read with your child and because they represent a range of approaches to the topic of gender equity.
Stories and books are a powerful learning tool for our children. Stories that depict children participating in a wide range of positive and diverse activities expands their horizons of what is possible. Stories Beyond Stereotypes features real and imaginary characters who follow their own path, unconstrained by gender stereotypes.
A collection of books aimed at primary school children featuring real and imaginary characters who follow their own path, unconstrained by gender stereotypes.
Stories and books are a powerful learning tool for our children and stories that depict children participating in a wide range of positive and diverse activities expands their horizons of what is possible. The booklist has been collated to complement other books and traditional stories already available for our members.
Your Library collects adult fiction and non-fiction, junior material, magazines and newspapers in other languages. The collections are situated at the following branches, with the demographics of the local population in mind.
BRANCH → LANGUAGE ↓ | BAYSWATER | CROYDON | KNOX LIBRARY – NGARRGOO | REALM | ROWVILLE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chinese | Adult Fiction & Non-Fiction Junior Fiction & Non-Fiction Teenage Fiction DVDs CDs | Adult Fiction & Non-Fiction DVDs Junior Fiction & Non-Fiction Junior Picture Books | Adult Fiction & Non-Fiction Junior Fiction & Non-Fiction DVDs CDs Newspapers (China Melbourne Daily) | Adult Fiction & Non-Fiction CDs DVDs Junior Fiction Junior Picture Books | Adult Fiction & Non-Fiction DVDs Newspapers (China Melbourne Daily) |
| French | Junior Fiction | ||||
| German | Junior Fiction | ||||
| Italian | Junior Fiction | ||||
| Japanese | Junior Fiction | ||||
| Spanish | Junior Fiction | ||||
| Vietnamese | Junior Fiction |
If your first language is not listed here, there may be a collection housed at a nearby library belonging to another library service. Public Libraries Victoria maintains this list of LOTE Collections in Victorian public libraries.
The University of Melbourne and Monash University also produce and maintain this comprehensive list of Asian Collections at public and university libraries in Victoria.
A collection of music scores is available for loan at Belgrave and Croydon Libraries. The collection covers a range of popular and classical music. The collection is fully searchable and items may be reserved by members at no charge.
Your Library holds many local and national newspapers, including digital access. See the full list here.
The C-Pen ReaderPen is a brilliant literacy tool. It scans and reads written text out loud with natural speaking voices; stores text for later; and can look up and explain the meaning of words.
Hear the words through earphones, the built-in speaker, or plug in an external speaker if required.
The Seed Library is a free borrowing service aiming to cultivate a thriving community of gardeners and seed savers, while building and sharing knowledge, and fostering community resilience, self-reliance, and a culture of sharing.
You can donate seeds saved from your garden or leftover seeds from purchased packets. Just drop them in to any of our libraries.
Members can borrow up to 3 packets of seed for free! Plant/Grow the seeds in your garden, nurture plants to maturity and donate seed back to the library.
The Seed Library is currently available at Bayswater, Belgrave, Boronia, Croydon, Ferntree Gully, Miller’s Homestead, Mooroolbark, Rowville and Yarra Junction libraries.
Console video games are available for loan from the following branches: Belgrave, Croydon, Healesville, Knox, Realm and Rowville (but they can be reserved for collection from any branch). Games are available for every major console. Members may borrow up to 2 console video games at a time.